JNS.org – A malignant lung tumor was removed with just one incision for the first time in Israeli history by doctors at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center.

In an operation that usually requires multiple incisions, Drs. Danny Fink and Faras Abu Acher recently managed to excise the tumor with a single four-centimeter incision in the lower lobe between the ribs, the American Committee for Shaare Zedek Medical Center said in a press release. The procedure, called “thoracoscopy,” involves a tiny video camera and surgical instruments being inserted through the lung. The patient was discharged from Shaare Zedek four days later.

A year ago, Spanish surgeon Dr. Diego Gonzales visited Shaare Zedek to teach the thoracoscopy technique to Fink and Abu Acher. According to Fink, completing the surgery with a single incision decreases pain, scarring, and recovery time.